The Charlotte Hornets have one of the saddest histories in the NBA. They haven't made the playoffs since 2016, which is currently the longest drought in the league. Furthermore, since re-adopting the Hornets name in 2014, they haven't won a playoff series, and they've never made the conference finals in their complicated 36-year history.
As such, it's easy to see why the NBA is rallying around the Hornets, who suddenly have a winning record and are 1.5 games back from the playoffs. Kon Knueppel's thrilling rookie season only adds to this equation.
I don't want to dismiss the Hornets as simply a fun story, though. To me, the Hornets have the beginning signs of a future NBA champion, and if their recent play continues, they'll be a tough out at the very least come playoff time.
Numbers don't lie: The Hornets are legit
Analytically, there are a few things that stand out in a positive way with this Hornets team. Firstly, they have the league's best net rating since the turn of the calendar. Additionally, their starting lineup of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate has an absurd plus-31.2 net rating per Cleaning the Glass. When this lineup is healthy, they have a 20-2 record.
With wins against the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets in the past 20 games, the Hornets aren't just beating up on bad teams either. Frankly, you don't get numbers this good by accident, and watching the games, you see how well this group clicks. Moreover, these factors prove that the Hornets are far better than their overall 32-31 record shows, and we can expect them to continue to surge for the rest of the season.
As mentioned, the Hornets are just 1.5 games out of the playoff picture, but a top-six seed isn't out of the question either, as they are just 2.5 games behind the Philadelphia 76ers. If the Hornets keep playing like this, nobody will want to see this team in the playoffs.
The Hornets' young core is championship caliber
The Hornets' young nucleus of LaMelo, Kon, and Miller is the most talented young trio on any team outside the Spurs. I'm not going to go full Bill Simmons and say that the Hornets are going to suddenly become the next Steph Curry-Golden State Warriors, but it's clear they are building something special with this trio.
Just as important as the raw talent of these three players is how they fit together. The first thing that needs to be mentionedis that they're all great 3-point shooters. Currently, the Hornets rank third in both 3-point attempts and 3-point percentage. The ability to create open 3s and emphasis on off-ball movement is the epitome of modern basketball (more on that later).
Knueppel rightfully steals a ton of attention as he currently leads the league in total 3-pointers made and has emerged as a clear threat to win Rookie of the Year. However, LaMelo's playmaking helps open up shots for Kon, and he deserves credit as the floor general of this system. Ball also deserves credit for buying into more of a facilitator role to empower Kon and others. Notably, he is shooting 4.4 fewer field goals per game.
Miller is probably the most underrated young player in the league, to me. Despite being the second leading scorer (20.3 points) on this team and a silky smooth bucket getter, he never seems to get discussed. Regardless, his 3-point shooting, ability to create for himself, and impressive on-ball defense are key to Charlotte's success. Miller looks up to Paul George, and it's easy to see that when watching him.
Beyond this trio, Coby White's presence as a ball-handler and creator off the bench has been a nice addition to the team, and Collin Sexton filled the same role before him. Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner give the team low-cost yet high-quality center play. Both big men provide essential center duties, including rim protection, lob catching, and rebounding, while never interfering with the rest of the team.
Given that all the players (outside of White) I've named are under 25, it's not far-fetched to believe that the Hornets will only continue to get better, and they will soon be a title contender.
Charles Lee's system sets the Hornets up for long-term success
I honestly feel embarrassed that I've waited so long to talk about head coach Charles Lee because he's easily the most underrated (or maybe simply unknown) coach in basketball. Since arriving in Charlotte last year, he has instilled principles from "Mazzulla ball" from his time with the Celtics.
Whenever I watch the Hornets, I see similarities between the two systems. It goes beyond the focus on 3-point shooting, the constant off-ball screening, and the fixation on attacking mismatches are two other things that stand out. Additionally, both teams focus on winning the possession battle or "the margins." The Hornets do this by playing at a slower pace, methodically attacking the defense, and rebounding at a high rate. Notably, they rank fifth in rebounds per game.
In some ways, watching the Hornets beat the Celtics by 29 points playing this style on Wednesday felt poetic.
I don't want to argue for every team to play the same exact way. However, this style of play has proven to be successful in the modern NBA, and it's yet another reason to believe that this Hornets team is laying the foundation for a long-term title contender.
Lee deserves credit for turning around the Hornets after a slow 4-14 start and should be a sneaky Coach of the Year candidate.
Ultimately, considering their young talent, sustainable system, and impressive recent play, it's fair to say that the Hornets have everything you would want from a future title winner. And given the lack of success this franchise has had, every NBA fan should be delighted by this possibility.